Fork In The Road
by Piper Emerald
Summary: After hours of walking, the two had come to the first fork in the road. Hatter hesitated for a moment before looking at Jack, expecting him to make the decision. "Which way?" She finally asked, when she realized that he was waiting for her to chose. Oneshot. (I own nothing.)


After hours of walking, the two had come to the first fork in the road. Hatter hesitated for a moment before looking at Jack, expecting him to make the decision. "Which way?" She finally asked, when she realized that he was waiting for her to chose.

"I don't think it matters, it's not like we're trying to get anywhere in particular." The path that they had been walking on split in two directions, and neither of them were sure which road would be the better choice.

"Just choose one, then." Hatter said slightly impatient.

"You choose one, you're the one who's in such a hurry. Are you afraid that you're going to be late for something?" Hatter wanted to slap that annoying grin off Jack's face.

"Fine, I'm going this way, and I encourage you to take the other path." She brushed past him, walking with the pride she almost thought she had lost.

"We went over this", Jack said as he followed her. "We agreed that we both had a better chance of surviving out here if we stick together."

"I know", she didn't look at him as she said this. She wanted to say that, at this point, she would rather die than have to spend another minute is his company. He still was her enemy, and the reason that she was stuck here in the first place.

They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"Who were you before?" Jack suddenly asked.

"What?" Hatter's train of thought was broken by Jack's question.

"You replaced the original Hatter. Who were you before you became The Mad Hatter?"

"I was nothing", she said darkly. Jack wrinkled his brow, thinking hard about what she had said.

"How can a living thing be nothing? It's not possible." Hatter groaned, why couldn't he just leave it at that.

"Fine. I was alive, but I was a nameless being made from fear and pain. So, yeah, I was nothing!" Jack looked a little stunned.

"You really don't have a name?" He sounded like a child.

"Not a real name. Why do you think I go by Hatter?"

"So what did you call yourself before you were Hatter?" Jack's curiosity was irritating.

"Nothing."

"Is that your answer for everything?"

"Can you just shut up for a moment? My past is my business, not yours!" Jack looked taken a back at the exasperation in Hatter's voice.

"Sorry", he mumbled. He waited a few more minutes before opening his big mouth. "But you can't blame me for being curious."

"Ever heard the term 'curiosity killed the cat'?" Jack nodded, and Hatter added: "Well, maybe it should be 'curiosity killed the knight'."

"You're not funny", Hatter smirked at the fact that Jack sounded the slightest bit offended. "Do you think we'll find people down here?" Jack's tone had completely changed. "I mean, you can tell from the paths that people have been here, but that could have been hundreds of years ago."

"I don't know", Hatter admitted. "I haven't heard of anyone being banished since I was a child. Yes, I once was a child. I wasn't technically born, but I still was young once." She answered his question before he had the chance to voice it.

"Ok", he paused for a moment. "How long do you think it'll be before we know if we're alone here?"

"Jack, although it is flattering that you think otherwise, I don't have the answer to everything."

Jack chuckled but said nothing.

A few minutes latter they came to another fork in the road. Jack abruptly stopped and mimed deciding between the two paths. Hatter shot him a look, but he didn't stop. Knowing that he couldn't take a hint to save his life, she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him in the direction of the path closest to her.

Jack began to laugh, and, to Hatter's surprise, she laughed with him. She couldn't remember the last time that she had really laughed out of joy. Maybe being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a brainless knight wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
